https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-598-A-Peerless-Expert-s-Tale-Part-1-/13548841/
Chapter 599: The Expert of a Lifetime (Middle)
Chapter 599: The Expert of a Lifetime (Middle)
Xu Huai Shang wasn’t sure what Feng Bu Jue meant by “that move,” but she suspected he was bluffing.
“Hmph… Is that so?” she scoffed coldly, her hands gripping the twin blades at her waist. “Then let me see it for myself.”
Her plan was clear—if she kept trading verbal barbs, she’d never beat Feng Bu Jue’s effortless coolness. The longer they talked, the wider the gap in their “style points” would grow. Xu Huai Shang wanted to end this cringeworthy middle-school-level exchange and fight already. If words failed, she’d just draw her swords and charge.
“You’re clever,” Feng Bu Jue mused silently. “Trying to strike while the iron’s hot, huh? You know your style points can’t rival mine, so you’re rushing things before the gap widens further.”
In an instant, Feng Bu Jue devised a counter. He turned sharply, raising his sword vertically before him like a blade of judgment. “Fine!” he barked. “Across the entire jianghu, only you, Xu Huai Shang, would dare speak so boldly!”
“You’ve barely been in this ‘jianghu’ for five minutes yourself,” Xu Huai Shang muttered inwardly, maintaining her icy facade. “And I just entered this scenario too…”
Feng Bu Jue wasn’t done. He’d already spun a tragic backstory for Xu Huai Shang in his mind—her origins, lineage, sect, cultivation journey, romantic trials, and every legendary tale of her wanderings in the martial world. He was prepared to monologue for half an hour.
But an interruption came.
“Hahahahaha!” A thunderous laugh echoed from the night sky.
The sound startled Feng Bu Jue and Xu Huai Shang. They’d assumed this would be a simple clash of rivals, but now they realized they weren’t alone.
“Hmph!” A sharp shout followed, and a figure leapt onto the roof.
The newcomer was a middle-aged man in a dark, form-fitting outfit, his face framed by thick, wild whiskers and a rugged jawline. A blade in his grip marked him as a swordsman.
He fixed Feng Bu Jue with a stare. “Your words are… rather full of yourself.”
“Who dares?” Feng Bu Jue practically beamed, thrilled for the distraction.
“Hmph… Arrogant brat,” the swordsman chuckled. “You don’t even recognize me, ‘Swordbreaker of the Northern Front’ Liao Wu? How dare you claim to ‘encompass the jianghu’?”
Feng Bu Jue arched a brow, his tone dripping with disdain. “Why’s that surprising? The martial world’s overflowing with nameless nobodies. Should I know every random fourth or fifth-rate nobody?”
Liao Wu’s eyes flared, his hand gripping his sheath. “Prideful youth! You dare challenge others without knowing your place?” He drew his sword. “Let me teach you a lesson on behalf of your master!”
“Hold!” Another voice cut in—a woman’s.
The group turned as a graceful figure landed lightly on the roof.
The woman was in her mid-twenties, clad in white, her beauty rivaled only by her longsword.
“Master Liao, please calm yourself,” she said. “Why intervene over a junior’s reckless words?”
Liao Wu hesitated for two seconds. “Ah… White Plum Sword, Lady Miao.”
“Honored to meet you, Master Liao,” Miao Ying bowed. Though younger, she didn’t address him as “senior,” as their sect rankings were equal.
Liao Wu snorted but lowered his blade. “Fine. Lady Miao defends you today—I’ll spare you.”
“Hmph… Unnecessary,” Feng Bu Jue scoffed, secretly hoping the two would clash.
“Wait,” Xu Huai Shang interjected before the two Npcs could erupt. “Today, I and…” She hesitated, unsure how to address Feng Bu Jue, “...I and Feng Bu Jue are here for a private duel. Please don’t interfere.”
“Haha! So the rumors of the ‘leave-a-name’ challenge are true!” A third voice boomed.
Xu Huai Shang groaned inwardly. “More uninvited guests? When will this end?”
Experts often arrived mid-sentence via Lightness Skill, and this one was no exception.
Dressed in black with a crimson cape, his hair neatly tied, his face smooth as jade—no weapon visible.
“Tang Yun’er, you’re here too?” Liao Wu frowned.
“Why not?” Tang Yun’er smirked. “Anyone who heard ‘that message’ would be curious.”
“What message?” Xu Huai Shang asked.
Tang Yun’er paused mid-reply, his mind going blank as he turned to her. He’d seen many beauties, but none like this. In his memory, only his mother, the “Cloud-Walking Fairy Muyong Ying,” had such celestial charm.
“What was it?” Xu Huai Shang pressed.
“Er… Oh, right!” Tang Yun’er blurted, scrambling to recall.
“Hahahaha!” Liao Wu roared. “Pimple-faced kid, you forget your name around a pretty face!”
Tang Yun’er flushed, his pride stung. “Hmph! Liao Wu, don’t mock me, or I’ll—”
“Or what? You’ll teach me a lesson too?” Liao Wu’s hand hovered over his sword, his temper flaring.
Feng Bu Jue chuckled silently, while Xu Huai Shang facepalmed. The skirmish hadn’t even started, and the uninvited Npcs were already clashing.
“A month ago,” a fourth voice chimed, sharp yet familiar to Feng Bu Jue.
A figure appeared in a flash—calm, swift, and unnervingly composed.
The others stiffened. Liao Wu, Miao Ying, and Tang Yun’er, all first-rate martial artists, sensed his power—unfathomable, godlike.
“The Full Moon Night, Zijin Peak,” the figure continued. “One Sword from the West, Sky-Soaring Immortal Sword. I wondered then who dared carve a challenge in the imperial palace.” He stepped forward, moonlight revealing his face. “It’s you, kid.”
Feng Bu Jue grinned, bowing. “Cao Eunuch, it’s been a while.”
“God…” Xu Huai Shang groaned. “What’s this plot twist?”
“Thirty years, Teahouse Master Feng,” Cao Qin smirked, studying him. “How have you been?”
Feng Bu Jue blinked. Thirty years had passed in this world since he’d last entered. But Cao Qin hadn’t aged a day—still in his prime, looking no older than fifty.
“Fine, fine,” Feng Bu Jue replied. “You’re looking youthful yourself. Getting younger by the day!”
Cao Qin’s androgynous snort cut through the air. “My innate constitution is divine. Fifteen years ago, I reached the Heavenly Realm. This appearance is nothing.” He narrowed his eyes at Feng Bu Jue. “But you, Teahouse Master… Are you some ageless immortal?”
“Hahahaha…” Feng Bu Jue let out a hearty laugh, buying himself a few seconds to fabricate a lie. “I’m just too unlikable—Lord Yama himself refuses to take me!” he replied with a joke.
Cao Qin was a sharp man and didn’t press further. With an almost coquettish gesture, he smoothed a ribbon on his cap brim and replied, “Fine by me. Don’t want to talk? I’m not interested anyway.” Saying this, he turned and swept his gaze over the surrounding crowd.
The three experts who had been so bold moments ago all shivered under Cao Qin’s stare. Only Xu Huai Shang remained as calm as still water, unmoved.
“Master Feng,” Cao Qin continued, “if you want a duel—fine. You want to fight atop the imperial palace…” He sighed. “Honestly? That works too.” He pointed toward the distance. “But why send a message a month in advance? And what exactly was the point of that?” He paused, adding, “Do you realize how much trouble that caused the imperial court?”
“My mistake,” Feng Bu Jue conceded half-heartedly. He had no desire to make an enemy of Cao Qin. If the Martial World Survival Guide existed, one chapter’s title would surely be “Don’t Mess With Eunuch Cao.”
“Ah, well,” Cao Qin shook his head. “Luckily, I was prepared. The news never spread through the martial world. Fewer than a hundred know of this. Tonight, over thirty stormed the Imperial Palace in an attempt to seize it, but only three slipped through.”
As he spoke, Cao Qin clasped his hands behind his back, staring at the trio. “You three… do have some skill.” His gaze sliced through the night like a blade, cold and sharp. “I know ordinary palace guards wouldn’t be enough to capture you. That’s why I ordered all imperial guards away from this area half an hour ago. I came myself… to spill blood.”
At these words, the three men’s blood ran cold.
But Cao Qin suddenly softened. “Yet… seeing old friends tonight brings me joy.” He smiled. “Besides, I’d like to watch this duel unfold properly.”
Liao Wu, Miao Ying, and Tang Yun’er felt their lives flash before their eyes—only to find a sudden twist. For a moment, they’d been sure they’d die.
“Here’s the deal,” Cao Qin said, hopping over the roof’s ridge to stand beside them. “Once they finish fighting, I’ll let you leave. But with a condition—you’ll never speak of tonight again. Ever.”
Before he could utter “annihilate your clan,” the sharp-witted Miao Ying quickly blurted, “Thank you for sparing our lives, Senior!”
Tang Yun’er quickly followed suit, bowing deeply. “Thank you, Senior!”
Liao Wu, now thoroughly cowed, stammered, “Th-thank you, Master Cao…”
“Hmm.” Cao Qin nodded, satisfied. Truthfully, he wasn’t a bloodthirsty killer—what he craved most was the feeling of being feared.
Objectively speaking, at Cao Qin’s level, there was little left to pursue. He’d mastered supreme martial arts, held power and wealth, and while romance eluded him, he’d adopted countless sons. Now, pride and ego were his only joys. His fondness for Master Feng stemmed from the latter’s lack of disdain—a respect far deeper than the fear he usually commanded.
“You jianghu folk only know how to watch spectacles,” Cao Qin continued. “You forget there’s always a higher mountain, a stronger opponent. Thirty years ago, during the Cangling Sword Debate, Lin Chang’s Great Emptiness Formless Arts dominated all. Even Sword God Ye Cheng and the nameless swordsman Xie San fell to him. The First Mansion, Second Floor, Three Sects, and Four Gates were like weeds.” He paused. “Without Master Feng here, would this martial world even exist today?” He lectured the stunned “experts,” “Now, your generation dares storm the imperial palace with such paltry skills? Hmph. Learn your place—watch carefully. This is true expertise.”
The wind kept blowing.
The night stretched on.
But the blades remained in their sheaths.
As four spectators watched intently, Feng Bu Jue’s fashion value soared to +50, while Xu Huai Shang’s climbed to +18 thanks to his company.
“So this world’s a scenario he’s visited before,” Xu Huai Shang mused, piecing together what she’d heard. “And he’s acquainted with Eunuch Cao…” She considered, “Thankfully, this kill game duel setup means that Npc probably won’t interfere directly.”
Meanwhile, Feng Bu Jue pondered, “So this universe… no Ye Gucheng or Sima Xue Wu to speak of. They just recycled the setting onto us?” He glanced at his sword. “I randomly mentioned Sky-Soaring Immortal Sword… but how the hell am I supposed to use it?!”
“Begin the duel!” Xu Huai Shang suddenly shouted, her twin blades flashing free. With an audience, her fashion value gains would accelerate—procrastination now hurt her more.
“I have one last thing to say,” Feng Bu Jue declared coldly.
“Ugh… so annoying,” Xu Huai Shang inwardly groaned.
Outwardly, she kept a stern facade. “Speak.”
“What to say…” Feng Bu Jue stalled, eager to buy time and boost fashion value. “What if I say I love you to unsettle her? Probably not get flagged for harassment…” His mind brimmed with ideas. “Wait—Xu’s an idol. She’s heard a thousand confessions already. Useless…” He shifted gears. “Wish I were a woman—I carried your child might work. Or… I pooped my pants!”
Yet he swallowed the words, reasoning, “Nope. Even if it rattles her, my fashion value would plummet. Too embarrassing…”
“Out with it!” Xu Huai Shang pressed, advancing two steps. “Are you stalling?!”
With no choice, Feng Bu Jue improvised, “If I fall… bury me… beside my wife.” His voice carried sorrow, a masterclass in dramatic acting.
“Who? Who’s your wife? Who even is your wife?!” Xu Huai Shang nearly exploded.
“Fine…” she reluctantly agreed, her face twisting with frustration and fury.
But to onlookers, it painted a different picture.
Tang Yun’er sighed, “Ah… fallen petals falling for the indifferent stream.”
Xu Huai Shang inwardly screamed, What?! Where did you even come from?! What did you hear?!
“Oh?” Cao Qin glanced at his companions. “Are they… a couple?”
“Poor girl, pure heart,” Miao Ying nodded. “Yet Master Feng only pines for his late wife.”
“Ahhhh!” Xu Huai Shang’s mind howled, You’ve read too many romance novels! Where’d you get this tragic ‘we never met’ vibe?!
Even burly Liao Wu solemnly added, “Didn’t expect Master Feng to be such a devoted man, unmoved by beauty. Respect.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! Is there no justice anymore?!” Xu Huai Shang gritted her teeth, her face contorting—only deepening the misunderstanding.
“Then… prepare yourself…” Feng Bu Jue hadn’t expected his words to stir such chaos. Seizing the moment, he struck his stance and charged.
(End of Chapter)
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